Do I need a chiller

[jlabeaume]

So I have an extra 30 cube tank. I was thinking a seahorse/Marco set up.

I live in Missouri the weather ranges from below freezing to 100+. We always have the heat or AC going. Someone is always home. I never set the heat below 65 and the AC never goes above 75. I might hit 80 randomly

So do you guys think I can get away without using a chiller and just have a heater?

Thanks

 

[BlueCat1949]

So I have an extra 30 cube tank. I was thinking a seahorse/Marco set up.

I live in Missouri the weather ranges from below freezing to 100+. We always have the heat or AC going. Someone is always home. I never set the heat below 65 and the AC never goes above 75. I might hit 80 randomly

So do you guys think I can get away without using a chiller and just have a heater?

Thanks

It shouldn't be a problem at all as 75 is pretty close to ideal. The only reason you would need a chiller is if you want to keep temperate species like Hippocampus abdominalis or H. capensis. Those two species would need to be kept below 70 degrees. H. abdominalis is too large for your tank and H. capensis is very rare in the hobby these days but they are a very attractive species. See pix below.

 

[jlabeaume]

Cool thanks. Yeah I haven't even looked at the different species yet. Just trying to figure everything I'd need.

 

[rayjay]

Because tank set ups are different from one household to another, it's the tank temperature more than the home temperature that is more important.
Depending on the lighting and equipment over a tank, the internal tank temperature is going to be warmer than the room temperature so if your room is at 75 then you are going to be hard pressed to keep tank temperatures even close.
Recommended tank temperature range for most seahorses available to us in the hobby is 68° to 74°F even though they normally would be found in warmer water in nature.
Our tanks don't have the advantage of ever changing water and so the bacteria can get problematic very fast, especially above 74°, multiplying exponentially for each rising degree.
Pledosophy has an excellent discourse on the matter in the fifth post of this thread. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2274878

 

[BlueCat1949]

The question was if you have to have a chiller and in my opinion I would say no. Unless your tank has a lot of heat producing lighting or pumps he should have no trouble keeping temps under control.

When I was raising seahorses I had 20 tanks and even though they ran a little warmer in summer I was able to raises hundreds of erectus seahorses. Nobody's tanks are 100% perfect all the time but as long as extremes are avoided he should be fine.

A pix of some of my young adult seahorses. The tank was on a lower tier and ran around 76-77 degrees in the summer.

 

[rayjay]

Not everyone has been as fortunate as you have been with slightly elevated temperatures. Personally I prefer not to take a chance any more.

 

[DanU]

A clip on fan may be all that is needed during the peak of the summer. A fan blowing across the water at the top of the tank can lower it 2 to 3 degrees. We use them during the warmer months. AC is set at 77 degrees but with the fans the tanks run 74 to 75 during the summer.

Dan

 

[jlabeaume]

A clip on fan may be all that is needed during the peak of the summer. A fan blowing across the water at the top of the tank can lower it 2 to 3 degrees. We use them during the warmer months. AC is set at 77 degrees but with the fans the tanks run 74 to 75 during the summer.

Dan

That's good to know. I'm a long ways off before this is going. Still need and light and skimmer. As well as new returns for my Reef tank. But I plan on having it set up before the summer really sets in.